Mortal Shell
If you're a fan of FromSoftware's excellent soulsborne games, you might want to give Mortal Shell a try. Made by a studio with a noticeably smaller budget, it sends plays into battle against tough enemies who you will overcome with a combination of patience and timing.
To try and stand out from other Souls-likes, Mortal Shell has a hardening mechanic. By using this ability, you can block any incoming damage from your foes. However, you can't simply use this power all the time and never get hurt, you'll need to choose the right moment.
Dead Cells
Dead Cells takes the exploration aspect of a Metroidvania and blends it with the fast-paced and punishing nature of a roguelike. You take control of a failed experiment and battle your way through a shifting and perilous land. Throughout each run, you will find a variety of increasingly powerful weapons to help you take down your foes and the bosses that guard each area.
Be warned though, Dead Cells isn't an easy game. Even when equipped with stellar weaponry, enemies and bosses can quickly deplete your health bar. So, you will need to ensure your reactions are on point to swiftly dodge roll away from their clutches before firing back with your attacks.
Dead Cells sports a retro-inspired aesthetic but plays with the smoothness of a modern-day game, meaning it provides a healthy dose of nostalgia without the clunky controls that plagued some older titles.
Astroneer
System Era Softworks' Astroneer is a beautiful game to behold. You don't see too many games this colourful, making for a nice change of pace. This sci-fi adventure is set during the 25th century Intergalactic Age of Discovery when the titular Astroneer's explored space.
As you've probably guessed, you will play as one of these explorers while also building a base and creating vehicles to help make your task easier. You don't have to venture out into the galaxy alone, either. Astroneer allows you to team up with four other players online.
Death's Door
Death's Door is an isometric action-adventure game from Acid Nerve and Devolver Digital. It follows the Crow, an avian who works for the Reaping Commission Headquarters as a soul collector. You join them on a seemingly standard mission to collect from a target. However, their target, understandably, doesn't want to give up their soul willingly.
So, you must defeat them in battle to take it from them. After taking them down, an older Crow appears and tells you that the RCH isn't what it seems and tasks you with gathering three Giant Souls to unlock the titular Death's Door to find the truth. But it won't be an easy journey, and you will need to use weapons, projectiles and magic to defeat your enemies while dodging the attacks they throw in your direction.
Undertale
Undertale is a true indie darling, with a fiercely dedicated fanbase who still sings the game's praises almost seven years after its initial release. And that's absolutely justified. Developer Toby Fox has undoubtedly created something special with Undertale even though, on the surface, it might not appear that way.
At a first glance, Undertale merely looks like a retro-inspired RPG, but dig a little deeper, and you'll learn there's much more to it. You see, though there are many battles to participate in, you don't need to resort to violence at any point. Instead, you can simply dodge enemy attacks in bullet hell-style sections before negotiating with them to avoid bloodshed.
It's a lovely game, bursting with personality and humour. Each of the characters you meet along the way is adorable in their own way, and you'll quickly find yourself wanting to help them out rather than striking them down.
Bugsnax
Bugsnax sees you heading to Snaktooth Island, home to numerous half-bug half-snack creatures. An explorer named Elizabert Megafig gave you the invite, although she's nowhere to be found upon arrival. Quite mysterious, no?
Alongside trying to find Elizabert, your quest will also involve discovering exactly what Bugsnax are. It's a beautiful-looking game with a vibrant art style. However, don't let its on-the-surface friendliness fool you. There's a darker story than you might expect lurking within Bugsnax.
Slay the Spire
Card games mixed with roguelike elements have become a popular combination in recent years, and this growing sub-genre owes a lot to Slay the Spire, which remains one of the best to this day. It sees you battling your way up the titular spire, building a deck as you progress. There are hundreds of cards to choose from, but only some will synergise with one another, so it's important to consider what's already in your deck before adding something new.
As you've probably already guessed, Slay the Spire offers fantastic replayability since each run is different. On top of that, there are multiple classes to choose between, with each bringing additional elements to the gameplay, meaning you could spend hundreds of hours enjoying this card-based roguelike.
Slay the Spire is available on the App Store and Google Play. But if you already have an Xbox Game Pass subscription, it's a great place to try it out and see if it's for you.
Inside
Playdead's Inside is one of the best games, let alone indie titles. You only have to look at the string of awards it has won to understand it's a critically acclaimed puzzle-platformer. But what makes it so good? Well, it's a mixture of everything.
Inside is a puzzle game that uses simple controls to create some excellent brain teasers. It also sports a moody art style with an atmosphere that perfectly matches the sombre aesthetic. Beyond that, despite the lack of words throughout the story, it has an intriguing narrative that you'll be thinking about long after the credits roll.
Dicey Dungeons
If you enjoy strategy games with roguelike elements, then you should give Dicey Dungeons a try. Playing as, unsurprisingly, a giant walking dice, your aim is to battle your way through randomised dungeons to escape the clutches of Lady Luck.
As you progress through each run, there are multiple opportunities to add to your growing deck, find loot, and level up your character. While thinking strategically is paramount, the outcome of each move is determined by a dice roll, so you must be prepared for luck to be against you.
Immortality
Immortality is the latest FMV game from developer Sam Barlow, who previously released the beloved Telling Lies and Her Story. Both revolve around a mystery, and Immortality is no different. This time around, you will investigate the disappearance of Marissa Marcel, a budding movie star who appeared in three films that were never released.
In Immortality, you will explore these three films and behind-the-scenes clips in search of clues that may provide information on Marissa's disappearance. It's a great concept, and the story is incredibly compelling and remains mind-bending, up until the credits roll.
